Sports Shorts by Hartley Miller as of 10:05 a.m. Monday, July 26
Olympics:
Canada has its first gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. World champion Margaret Mac Neil won the women’s 100m butterfly.
Canada’s first two medals also came in the pool. Canada took silver in the women’s 4×100-metre freestyle relay. Penny Oleksiak, who anchored the Canadian team, captured her fifth career trip to the podium, tying an all-time record for a summer Olympian from Canada.
Canada also won silver in diving. Jennifer Abel and Melissa Citrini-Beaulieu of Quebec placed second in the women’s three-metre synchronized springboard. For Abel, it was her second Olympic medal as she took bronze in the same event with Emilie Heymans at the 2012 London Games.
Summer McIntosh of Toronto just missed a medal in the women’s 400-metre freestyle. The 14-year-old McIntosh finished fourth and set a Canadian record.
The Canadian women’s softball team will play Mexico for bronze tonight (Monday p.t.). The Canadians went 3-2 in the round robin with both losses coming by 1-0 scores against the USA and Japan. Canada is coming off an 8-1 victory over Italy.
The Canadian women’s soccer team has a win and a tie after a 2-1 victory over Chile. Janine Beckie scored both goals for Canada, who play Britain on Tuesday before likely going on to the quarterfinals.
Canada has a team of 371 athletes (225 women and 146 men) in Tokyo.
Among the female athletes: track star Regan Yee of Hazelton who will compete in the 3000 Metre Steeplechase and Kayla Moleschi of Williams Lake who is part of the women’s rugby team.
The Olympics run through to August 8th.
NHL:
33 WHL players, including Prince George Cougars defenseman Ethan Samson, were selected in the NHL Draft.
Samson, who is from Delta and turns 18 next month, went in round six, 174th overall to the Philadelphia Flyers.
He was the only Cougar picked.
No player from Prince George was selected in the Draft.
Defenseman @EthanSamson77 of the @PGCougars is now property of the @NHLFlyers after he was selected in round 6, 174th overall in the #NHLDraft. https://t.co/S07KKVvNIF
— Hartley Miller (@Hartley_Miller) July 24, 2021
Ethan Samson was selected by the @NHLFlyers in the 6th round, 174th overall, in the 2021 NHL Draft.#NHLDraft | #AnytimeAnywhere
— PG Cougars (@PGCougars) July 24, 2021
The Western Hockey League was the leading provider of talent during the 2021 #NHLDraft, with 33 players selected.
DETAILS ? | https://t.co/2DAwLG2ZpB pic.twitter.com/isLxyGwAwp
— The WHL (@TheWHL) July 24, 2021
Three of the top five picks in the NHL Draft came from the Michigan Wolverines. The Buffalo Sabres selected Wolverines defenseman Owen Power with the top pick and were followed by the expansion Seattle Kraken choosing Michigan centre Matthew Beniers at No. 2. It marked the first time in 52 years that teammates went one-two overall. The Wolverines became college hockey’s first program to have three teammates go in the first round after the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Michigan winger Kent Johnson fifth.
Your 2021 #NHLDraft First Round selections.
(via @PR_NHL) pic.twitter.com/OW0TzJeKda
— NHL (@NHL) July 24, 2021
Canadiens statement on selecting Logan Mailloux.https://t.co/g04PZd2sF8
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 24, 2021
–The Vancouver Canucks have placed forward Jake Virtanen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout. The Canucks are parting ways with Virtanen, who was placed on leave on May 1 after being accused in a lawsuit of sexually assaulting a woman four years earlier.
–The Canucks made a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Coyotes just prior to the NHL draft. Vancouver acquired defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and right-winger Conor Garland from the Coyotes in return for the No. 9 selection in this year’s draft, the Canucks’ second-round pick in 2022 and its seventh-round pick in 2023 plus forwards Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson and Antoine Roussel.
New Canuck Ekman-Larsson candidly admits he needs to refill his competitive tank https://t.co/jh0dg64uf4 pic.twitter.com/wgkVXsXyth
— Province Sports (@provincesports) July 25, 2021
–The Buffalo Sabres traded their leading scorer from last season, Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers for their 2022 first-round pick and goalie prospect Devon Levi. If the Panthers pick in the top 10 in 2022, the pick moves to 2023.
–In a one-for-one swap of forwards, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired Cam Atkinson from the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for Jakub Voracek. This will be Voracek’s second stint with Columbus.
Fastball:
Falcon Contracting River Kings beat Kelowna Installers 9-7 in 9 innings at the Softball BC Master’s Provincals. @JayJanower @CadenFanshaw @itsjdphoto @PGCitizen @EthanReady @CKPGCorrigan @Hartley_Miller @cfisfm pic.twitter.com/bXRJEW9pjO
— Big Guy Lake Sports Club (@nativesportspg) July 26, 2021
Columns:
Scattershooting on a Sunday evening as the smoke rolls in like the tide . . . https://t.co/SmzjOzABWM
— Gregg Drinnan (@gdrinnan) July 26, 2021
HART ATTACK: @Hartley_Miller discusses the early returns and expectations for the @SeattleKraken in his latest column | https://t.co/DYw4i7LX8i #cityofpg #sports pic.twitter.com/i0WYccRRlK
— My Prince George Now (@mypgnow) July 23, 2021
NFL:
Aaron Rodgers reportedly intends to play for the Packers next season.https://t.co/zLhdgye9ce
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 26, 2021
MLB:
New York Mets 5 Toronto Blue Jays 4
(The (49-46) Blue Jays are 1-2 on a 7-game road trip that continues tonight against the Red Sox in Boston)
The Blue Jays schedule is right here.
The MLB standings are right here.